CalazCon! is a pre-recorded actual play series released on Youtube and as a podcast!

CalazCon! is going to innovate in the largely unexplored space of multi-group actual play. 30 players across 6 groups will go to war for an exhausted Democratic Federated Systems army as it crashes into the massive CalazCon! which occupies a local Jovangellian town. 

Will the DFS be able to free the Jovangellian citizens from both their oppressive empire AND the nomadic convention, or will they get sucked into becoming fans of the Calazar media franchise?

We're raising funds for the show and if you'd like to support us, you can do so through our IndieGoGo campaign! https://www.indiegogo.com/projects/calazcon-a-beam-saber-actual-play-mega-game/x/29685585#/

Tungsten Hearts by Devin Nelson: https://devindecibel.bandcamp.com/album/tungsten-hearts-calazcon-ost

When You Risk It All by TeknoAXE: https://youtu.be/QVzfWmllNRg

This recording explains why this podcast feed ends the way it does, and where to find the rest of The Cenotaph.

The Cenotaph recorded live stream on youtube: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLcvOl-rN4hsyep-lyoapI76bnlyEA7f7O

This Mission Report is provided by M. Glatki, a member of the Beam Saber community and discord server! The mission is for the Izyan Conflict setting and is suitable for use as a one shot.

 

BRIEFING: An underground mountain fortress from the early Izyan conflict was unearthed during a recent earthquake. It is said to contain the Pièce de Résistance (PdR), a technological marvel, which allowed the Izyan resistance against the large faction far longer than everyone expected.  A reconnaissance overflight discovered the exposed fortress hours ago. Go get the PdR tonight before anybody else does.

SUGGESTED DESCRIPTIONS AND BACKGROUND:

(Completely optional ideas that you might find inspiring or otherwise helpful)

About the Fortress: In the early stages of the Izyan conflict, when the factions just arrived, the fortresses' purpose was intelligence gathering and defense coordination.
It was the location of a unique technology - the PdR. A so far unreplicatable technology that allows for long range faster-than-light scans, thus enabling the Izyan military forces to always be at the right time and place.

Knowing the importance of this critical technology, its location and specifics about the technology were kept secret. 

When the fortress AI controlling the PdR went rogue and killed everyone, no living being knew where it was. It has been a graveyard ever since. After the fortress's mysterious disappearance the resistance of the Izyan government quickly collapsed.

 

The Site: A mountainside devastated by an earthquake. Half the mountain landslid into the valley next to it, revealing the fortress hidden inside. There is rubble everywhere, and it is very hard to pass through. Large parts of the fortress are now part of the landslide, other parts are still in the mountain and very much intact.

There are visible searchlights in the ruins.

 

AI Room: A large sealed room. The AI is in a glowing quantum computer cube in the middle of the room. There are lots of thick cables coming out. The room is normally not accessible via mech, although a small one might just fit.

 

PdR: A strange rock, possibly a meteor, the size of a large cooking pot. It is embedded with circuitry resembling fossils and is currently suspended in the air with metal clamps. An array of sensors and emitters mounted on scaffolds are pointed at it. With effort, a single pilot might just be able to carry the stone. It has a load rating of 3 when carried by a pilot.

 

EMPLOYER:  A strategically oriented squad of the player faction. Suggestion: The Regional Development Council (Tier IV-S Corporatocracy).

 

OBJECTIVE:

• Primary objective: Deny the PdR to everyone else!
• Secondary objective: Obtain the PdR and bring it home.
• Tertiary: Undamaged. Please.

 

TARGET: The Burden (Tier II-S Independent) is en route to the site.

 

RULES OF ENGAGEMENT: 

• No use of enhanced interrogation.
• No threatening of, or employing force against civilians.

• No firing upon or presenting as a clearly marked medical transport or facility.
• Detainees must remain unharmed.

 

COMPLICATIONS:

• The ground is still unstable - aftershocks of the earthquakes disrupt plans or unearth additional problems.
• Other parties are en route and may arrive with little warning. Do they know about the PdR or are they here for something else?
• The larger area is a maze of valleys and mountains and conflicts may be drawn out. A local village might be drawn into the escalating conflict. Is the village affiliated with any faction? Do the locals know something about the fortress?
• The nuclear reactor on site is leaking, an area is flooded by radiation or is contaminated.
• Additional defense systems inside the fortress wake up from hibernation.
• Proxies from people formerly living in the fortress become active.
• The AI might want to strike a deal, but it included getting it out to safety. The PdR staying with it is non-negotiable, although it does not need it to stay alive.
• The AI guarding the complex and the PdR must be destroyed, deactivated, or convinced in order to retrieve the PdR. No one really knows what the PdR exactly is, only that without it the resistance fell apart quickly.

 

CHARACTERS

• Walmartha “Cinnamon” Chakrabarti (she/her), leader of the  Sliver of Civility Trading Company squad salvaging the fortress. A small woman with short dark hair wearing a corporate uniform. Genial and enterprising. She arrived first with her salvaging team and she knows there might be something very precious in the fortress, but she doesn't know what exactly it might be.
  Goal: Get rich and get out unharmed.
• AST-201 "Short round", the (It/Its) the AI controlling the fortress systems and the PdR sensor system. The combination of interacting with the PdR feedback systems and the intelligence overwhelmingly indicating the inevitable defeat of the Izyan forces, slowly eroded its ability to differentiate between cause and effect as well as future and present. Since - from its perspective - the resistance already lost and had no permission to be present at the fortress, it defended itself against the perceived intruders using its automated defense systems.
  Goal: Survive this, either by eliminating all intruders or by striking a deal.
• Elias “Ignition” Welsh (he/him), the leader of a local burden cell (The Burden, (T II-S), Independent). A bulky man with a military style buzz cut and working clothes. Determined but idealistic and despises unnecessary killing. He has the secret passphrases for the emergency shutoff of the fortress AI and some knowledge as to what the PdR is. He is either a descendant of someone in the fortress’s staff, or was briefly stationed there himself (depending on your timeline and how long the Izyan conflict is going on). They are too late to the party, but arrive in force.
  Goal: Claim the PdR for the Resistance, or destroy it.

 

CHALLENGES:

• Concealed perimeter security cannons are emerging from the ground and are attacking indiscriminately.
• The Sliver of Civility Trading Company is already there and salvaging.
• There is rubble and ruins everywhere, making it hard to locate the PdR within the fortress/mountain. The fortress was huge. Multiple levels, ammunition depots, workshops. It was mostly self-reliant. Even after all these years, systems might be functional.
• The fortress is riddled with deadly traps, reflecting the paranoia of the late resistance. Electrifiable floors, poison gas, automated turrets, and explosive traps. They all have in common that they do not require a human to work. 
• The Burden squad is late to the party, but will arrive soon and in force.

For the last few months Christine Blight (with some help from me) has been working on turning the introductory story that will appear in the final version of Beam Saber into an amazing audio file. The story is written by Austin Walker and tells the tale of a group of DFS soldiers sent on a special mission to assassinate the leaders of the Adamant Council of Nor through extraordinary means.

If you don't want to wait for the text, the audio version is now available for anyone for free through the Beam Saber Itch page!

 

CREDITS

Written by Austin Walker

https://twitter.com/austin_walker

https://www.friendsatthetable.net/

Voice acting and audio editing by Christine Blight

cvblight@gmail.com

https://youdontmeetinaninn.libsyn.com/

Music is Dangerous by Kevin MacLeod

Link: https://incompetech.filmmusic.io/song/3587-dangerous

License: https://filmmusic.io/standard-license

This Mission Report is provided by Proxy Tango, a member of the Beam Saber community and discord server!

Briefing: Trans-Horizons has received word of a horrible mishap with one of its offworld shipments! It appears a type of vermin native to Izya (specifically the Journey City sewers) had found its way into the vessel and gorged itself on the expensive rare Izyan produce inside all the way to its destination. However, when God closes a door he often forgets to lock it and the beast’s escape from the ship put it in the path of a famed ExInc socialite who declared it adorable and set off a massive demand across ExInc space. Is this job glamorous? No, but it’s easy money and the only known activity down there is some Squaddies, so get a cage and go Gremlin hunting!

 

Employer: Takuma Transportation Solutions (Tier III, Corporatocracy)

 

Target: The Squaddies? (Tier I, Independent)

 

Objective: Capture and contain a breeding population of ‘Gremlins’.

 

ROE: No employment of chemical, biological, or explosive weaponry (especially the latter). The Gremlins are not to be purposefully harmed. Path Cascade is to be eliminated on sight (Trans-Horizons makes exceptions for that particular gremlin).

 

Complications:

• The Squaddies are already dead by the time the squad gets there, eliminated by a unit of the 99th Intelligence Group (Tier I) led by operatives ‘Montressor’ and ‘Fortunado’ here to intercept a DFS Scientist’s defection to the Adamant Council of Nor.
• The Knives of Nor (Tier II) are waiting for a cadre of corrupt Burden (Tier II) members to escort the scientist to their position in a cistern where they intend to smuggle them to a safehouse on their way to Might.
• The Burden members are planning a double cross on the Nor and intend to ransom the scientist to the highest bidder along with any Knives gear they can loot off the bodies.
• None of these groups are going to believe the squad is only here to catch some Gremlins and will attempt to deal with them in different ways.
• • The 99th’s operatives will attempt to engage the squad in cryptic tradespeak until their charges get frustrated and try to scare them off.
  • The Knives will attempt to play them against the Burden in an attempt to get the scientist for less cost than paying the Burden.
  • The Burden will try to kill the squad outright, believing the Knives got wind of their planned betrayal and hired the squad to take them out. 
• The Gremlins are rabbit-sized reptilians with iridescent scales and bioelectric traits that essentially make them immune to electrical shock, this gives them their names as they have a fondness for chewing on vital power cables. Due to this they’re usually killed or scared off on sight by anyone familiar with the infrastructural threat they pose.
• The constraints of the sewers mean only light vehicles at most can access them without causing structural damage and risking a potential cave in.
• The Nor getaway vehicle is an airboat with passenger space and cargo space along with a machine gun turret controlled by a targeting app linked to the team leader’s palm computer. Unbeknownst to the Knives, a Gremlin has gotten into the internal systems of the targeting computer housing the app and the resulting damage has destroyed its friend or foe programming, creating a bloodbath waiting to be activated.
• The scientist himself-if secured-will quickly agree to become an ExInc asset and keeping him alive becomes a secondary objective, he can also be handed over to any of the three parties if friendly or neutral with the squad for a status increase.

 

Characters:

• Montressor (She/Her) and Fortunado (He/Him), 99th Intelligence Group lead agents, features obscured behind tactical gear other than Montressor being short and stocky while Fortunado is tall and thin. Montressor is gregarious yet calculating while the less experienced Fortunado is a bag of nerves for his first field operation.
• Diplomat-Class Citizen Celestine McClain (She/Her), Knives of Nor lead operative, early 50’s, caucasian features with a silver-grey bob haircut, wearing traditional Norrish jumpsuit. A veteran diplomat and spy for the Knives, Celestine’s experience is being clouded by an arrogant belief in her superiority to native earthlings.
• Jazz Magnum (They/Them), Burden Cell leader, late 20’s, latinx features, shaved head, wearing scavenged military gear from multiple factions, no less than a dozen dog tags of multiple squads are attached to a necklace around their neck. Fiery and aggressive, Jazz has been plotting against Celestine for a while and their desire to get one over on the Offworlders has made them borderline myopic.
• Professor Oberlain Basilthorp (He/Him), defecting DFS scientist, late 60’s, caucasian features, balding white hair and thick eyebrows, walks with a cane, dressed in an ostentatious cloak he believed would keep him hidden from view during his escape. A prestigious name in the field of AWV R&D, Prof. Basilthorp’s attempted defection is the result of his prototype AWV design being discarded in favor of another, he keeps the blueprints in a compartment in his cane.

 

Challenges:

• The three-way battle for the Professor.
• General disbelief at the squad’s objectives.
• Capturing the Gremlins.
• The haywire app controlling the boat turret.
• Extracting the Professor.

 

This mission has been kicking around my head for a while because I've always wanted to start a mission with an air drop. So why not make that drop the ENTIRE MISSION?

MISSION REPORT: HOT LANDING

BRIEFING

We’ve predicted that in a few days a gap is going to appear in the orbital debris field for a little under an hour. We’ve lined up some atmospheric cargo shuttles to make the run, but our intel suggests that the <45th Drop Troops/Sliver Of Civility Trading Company> [Choose the squad that is most appropriate for your game] are doing the same, so we need you to provide escort on short notice. We've arranged for you and your AWVs to take a ride up the Tower to rendezvous with our cargo shuttles. 

As this is an orbital drop we’re providing your AWVs with a disposable Drop Kit. This includes maneuvering thrusters, deployable heat shielding, and an AWV parachute. The kit’s ugly and awkward, but it’ll help you survive the mission. If your AWV is already capable of airborne maneuvering, feel free to jettison the Kit after you’ve used its heat shielding to protect you from atmospheric re-entry.

EMPLOYER

The Breath of Faith [Tier 3W]: The Faith's personal agents. How they are chosen is secret. They are the few that can guarantee meetings with The Faith. GOAL: to ensure that the new ruler will continue The Faith's goals.

OR

99th Intelligence Corps [Tier 1S]: A group of spies, hackers, and infiltrators. GOAL: to supply allies with actionable intelligence.

TARGET

45th Drop Troops [Tier 1W]: Dedicated airborne and orbital drop troops that are sorely under supplied. GOAL: Regain the ability to perform regular drop actions.

OR

Sliver Of Civility Trading Company [Tier 1S]: Openly a trading company, but they are also known to be smugglers. GOAL: to get rich through il/legal deliveries.

OBJECTIVE

Get the Cargo Shuttles safely to Hulinton.

SECONDARY

• Deny the Target the cargo that they are escorting.
• Get the cargo shuttles to Hulinton undamaged. 

ROE

• Don’t damage the Tower.
• Don’t damage Hulinton when you arrive.

COMPLICATIONS

• Holdmates: The Target and their AWVs are on the same Tower trip as the pilots, and are even in the same cargo hold! The trip is neutral territory, and any trouble will cause problems for perpetrators’ superiors.
• The Sword Wing: the ace Norrish airborne squad learns about the debris gap, but too late to arrange a cargo drop. Instead they are on station to shoot down any enemy vehicles trying to take advantage of the gap.
• The Heard’s AA battery: Seeing the Sword Wing approach Jovangellian territory has put the Heard on high alert. They’ve brought out their anti-aircraft weapons to deal with any non-Jovangellian airborne units.

CHARACTERS

• Sister Sabin Hayabusa (she/her): Myriad cargo shuttle pilot. Brown skin, scarred face, Cold eyes, Military hair, Skinny body, Formal garb.
• Lieutenant Katriel Cruz (she/her): 45th Drop Troops officer. White skin, rugged face, Trusting eyes, Punk hair, Voluptuous body, Military garb.
• Transport Lead Euclidean Calamity (they/them): Sliver of Civility supervisor. Dark skin, beautiful face, Cold eyes, Poofy hair, Voluptuous body, Formal garb.
• Baron Vicario Naan (he/him): Sword Wing ace. Light brown skin, Rugged face, Uncertain eyes, Slick hair, Voluptuous body, Ornate garb.
• Captain Ohio Garden (they/them): Heard commander. Brown skin, young face, Uncertain eyes, Military hair, Skinny body, Ornate garb.

CHALLENGES

• The Drop Kit: This piece of Vehicle gear is comprised of 3 parts: Maneuvering thrusters, heat shielding, and an AWV parachute. Each part is 1 Load and can be voluntarily jettisoned at any time. This is in addition to a Vehicle’s normal Load, so every Vehicle will count as a heavier Load rating with the changes to fictional positioning to match. For example most Light Vehicles (normally Load 3) will count as Heavy (Load 6) while equipped with all 3 parts of the Drop Kit, and Medium (Load 5) after 1 or 2 have been jettisoned.
• The Cargo Shuttles: unarmed, and clumsy the only thing going for them is that they are rugged. The 3 of them could probably get through the debris field on their own, but with the possibility of enemy interference, they absolutely need an escort. Their health should be represented by a 6 tick clock, and with every two ticks filled, one of them is destroyed.
• 45th Drop Troops: This squad has been tasked with essentially the same role as the pilots, but they are specifically trained and equipped for the mission. They will fight hard to succeed so that they receive the supplies they need to do the job they were trained for.
• Sliver of Civility Trading Trading Company: This squad has brought their own tricked out smuggler shuttles to get their Faction’s supplies to the ground safely. This is what they do, and they are very good at it.
• The Debris Field Gap: The debris field that surrounds the “Earth” is a hazard to anything that tries to exist in the same vicinity. The gaps that form aren’t completely empty, but are clear enough for vehicles to pass through at risk.
• Atmospheric re-entry: Once the Debris Field is cleared, the Squad and Cargo Shuttles will hit atmosphere and begin to heat up. This causes Level 3 Damage “Fried.” The Heat Shielding will negate this when deployed, but armor and resisting can be used as normal.

It had been months of work in the doing but after utilizing the supplies from raiding the Jovangellian prison complex Savvyhawk manages to complete work on their newly mobile base of operations. By leveraging their favorable relationship with the Technocratic Society for a Better Earth Savvyhawk acquires the nuclear device necessary to fuel the reactor and giant anti-grav engines hum to life as the hidden underground framework of the ruined airway rises from the ground, becoming the sky fortress Blue of Heaven ;)

 

Toccata convinces the crew to bring the fight to the Regent. After the kidnapping, it took very little convincing.

 

Mission Specs

Employer: Toccata Leicht-Strejan

Target: The Landed Regent

Objective(s): Defeat the Landed Regent in a Duel

Rules of Engagement: No one kills her but me.

Tactic: Social

Detail: Invoking Dueling Laws

Pilot Loadouts: 

Zax: Light

Toccata: Light

Park: Light

 

Notes

On the deck of the base Park is approached by Elisha Shade. She expresses her concern that piloting war machines makes both her and Park worse as people. She doesn't want herself or Park to be pilots anymore. She and Tuesday are leaving the squad to go work directly with refugee transport efforts and she asks Park to hang up their flight suit and join her after this mission.

 

Upon hearing of the squad’s intentions, Buster Noble (de facto leader of Technocratic Society for a Better Earth) calls Zax Bliss, telling him to support Savvyhawk on their mission but

1. a) Run if he might die
2. b) Be the one to kill the Regent if the opportunity arises.

 

ZAX; GATHER INFORMATION; CONSORT(6)

Buster has a spy in the Jovangellian court, Creciende.

In border areas around the TSFBE the Regent is going on a press tour to raise support for the Empire. Zax gets details about her travel plans. Warns that if confronted in a small settlement she may just choose to level the settlement instead of dealing with the consequences. Perhaps a wider audience would alleviate this issue.

 

GROUP ACTION; SWAY(6); Toccata takes 1 Stress

The group makes social media posts to get Heather Passerines' attention turned to the event where they will show up to challenge the Regent.

 

ZAX; GATHER INFORMATION; STUDY(6)

Zax helps Toccata comb through the dueling codes to find an approach that would allow her to challenge the Regent. There are specific rules for a lower status individual to challenge a higher status.

1) Proof of slight to a family.

2) Proof of unjustly implemented legal punishment.

3) A supporting witness to the challenge.

 

TOCCATA; 2 STRESS FLASHBACK

Toccata produces the evidence she gathered about the Regent setting up her family(Gathered from a Long-Term Project several downtimes ago). As well as a secret recording of the Regent gloating about destroying the Leicht-Strejan family at her first meeting with Toccata after Savvyhawk stole the Jovangellian nuke.

 

Engagement Roll: 6 

 

While Vulcan von Strejan, The Landed Regent, holds a rally in a public park, the Blue of Heaven descends from the clouds. Park Tera Neta pilots the Thunderbolt MkV, carrying Toccata in their hand, landing among the scattering crowd.

 

Toccata uses the Thunderbolt’s loudspeakers to address the Regent, invoking the right of the duel. “My name is Toccata Leicht-Strejan, the Duchess of the Stain, and I have come to bring you justice. As the Regent raises her voice to protest, Toccata plays the recording of Vulcan gloating about exterminating the Leicht-Strejan house.

 

Heather Passerines is on the scene, broadcasting the encounter to her entire audience.

 

The Regent has no choice but to accept the trial by combat and allows Toccata to determine whether it will be on foot or in vehicles.

 

“The Persephone has been handed down generation after generation, it is more a part of my family than you are, we will strike you down together.” Toccata sets the scene for a duel between titans.

 

Vulcan declares that the duel will take place that afternoon, in an arena that she will have cleared and prepared.

 

Without answering Toccata pounds her fist on the chest of the Thunderbolt. The maneuvering tines on the mech spring to life and the engines roar as the Park returns them to the sky fortress.

 

As the time arrives, Park enters the arena to scout ahead of the fight.

PARK; SURVEY(2); Push with 2 Stress for +1D

Checks for traps.

Consequence; can try again in Risky Position; chooses to withdraw.

 

Standing alone with her thoughts at the edge of the flight deck, Toccata gets the message from Park that they were not able to properly scout the arena. Toccata says “Well, then. Wish me luck.”

She throws off her coat to reveal a tattoo that matches the pomegranate heart of her AWV. Mounting up without her interface suit, Toccata fully engages the Neural Link of the Persephone, the probes pierce her skin to form direct connections. She leaps off the Blue of Heaven in Striker Gear Persephone and lands in the arena to face Vulcan von Strejan, now revealed to be piloting the Striker Gear Demeter.

 

Wasting no time on formalities, Toccata charges the massive mech. Much to her chagrin the newer and more well-maintained Demeter has been loaded with autocombat algorithms.

TOCCATA; BATTLE(3); Desperate Great

Consequences; Lvl3 Damage (One-Armed); Reduced with with 1 Quirk to Lvl 1 Damage (Scarred)

 

TOCCATA; BATTLE(4); Risky Standard; Park aids with 1 Stress for better position 

Consequences; Lvl 2 Damage (Bashed); Reduced with 1 Quirk to Lvl 1 (Busted sensors)

 

Two exchanges go by. For the first time since fighting Elreth it is becoming clear that Toccata is outmatched by a machine.

 

Zax Bliss, using his empathic abilities, gives Toccata an outside perspective of the battle and helps to guide her actions.
ZAX; SURVEY(5); SETUP ACTION; Risky; Push with 2 Stress for +1D 

Consequences; Guards are advancing on Zax and Park. 4-Step Clock started and 1 tick filled; Resisted with 2 stress.

 

In a flashback, Park brought in their own boobby trap for the arena. Unfortunately they were not good at hiding it and their placed explosives were discovered by the Regent’s guards.

PARK; FLASHBACK 3 STRESS; PLACED EXPLOSIVES; ENGINEER(3)

Consequence; Guards Arrive Clock filled 2 ticks

 

Using Zax’s insight Toccata renews her attack against the Demeter. Still, she cannot find purchase with her blade and does only superficial damage.

TOCCATA; BATTLE(4); Risky Limited;

Consequence; move to desperate position

 

Zax, now more focused than ever, begins to pay close attention to the movements of the Demeter in an attempt to predict its patterns and guide Toccata more effectively.

ZAX; STUDY(4); SET UP ACTION; Risky; Push with 2 Stress

Consequences; Guards Arrive clock fills. Zax and Park are now hostages.

 

Upon hearing Park and Zax be surrounded, Toccata declares the final point of load on the Persephone to be Anti-Infantry defenses and unleashes a devastating hail of machine gun fire on the Regent’s guards, being guided by Zax.

TOCCATA; BATTLE(6); Risky Great; Declares Anti-Infantry Defenses and Attacks Guards; ZAX Assists with 1 Stress for improved position. 

 

After dealing with the guards, toccata turns back to the Regent and says “You have no idea how much it pleases me that you were the first one to break the rules, you fucking rat!” She attempts to drive the Demeter through one of the walls of the arena but finds the overwhelming power of the Tier 5 mech to be too much to overcome. The Demeter easily breaks down the Persephone to a knee and Vulcan slams one of it’s knees into the chest of her cousin’s mech.

TOCCATA: DESTROY(2); Risky Limited; 

Consequences: Lvl 2 Damage (Caved Cockpit)

 

A couple guards remain, Park pulls a collapsible sword from their jacket, rushing them. They cut down one with no trouble, but the second gets off a burst of gunfire. Zax Bliss goes against the wishes of Buster Noble and steps between Park and the guard to absord the blow, saving Park.

PARK; STRUGGLE(4); Desperate Limited; Pulls a sword to attack the remaining guards

Consequence; LVL3 Harm (Riddled); ZAX resists by stepping in with Armor; takes LVL2(Shot!)

 

Park relays that the guards are down and the two of them are safe for the moment. Toccata forces every ounce of power she can out of the Persephone and, shaking, rises back to her feet under the weight of the Demeter. She rams the broken head of her mech directly into the chest of the Demeter, knocking it back and breaking the grapple.

TOCCATA; BATTLE(6); Risky Standard; Park Assists with 1 Stress for improved effect.

 

After the beating it has taken, it is almost impossible for the Persephone to have any effect on the Demeter. Park asks if they are still playing by the rules and Toccata says “Fuck no!” Park utilizes their Fine Remote Vehicle Control to call the thunderbolt down from the Blue of Heaven, scooping themself up and ramming into the Demeter with their Beam Lance. The attack has little effect on the heavy AWV, the Beam Lance is left stuck in the enemy machine.

PARK; BATTLE(2); Risky Standard; Park Calls the Thunderbolt and Attacks Vulcan, Expending 1 Quirk for improved effect.

Consequence; Lvl 2 Damage (Divided); Resisted with 1 Quirk

 

In a truly desperate ploy to finish the fight Toccata ejects the chest armor of the Persephone, allowing her to see directly at the cost of being exposed. She grabs at the chest armor of the Demeter and attempts to wrench it off with her Fine Destruction Tools. Again she finds the pErsephone is unable to match the power of her cousin’s AWV. The PErsephone is thrown back and Vulcan winds up a massive punch to crush Toccata’s exposed body. Park throws the relatively small Thunderbolt between the two massive machines, absorbing the blow to save Toccata.

TOCCATA; DESTROY(2); Desperate Limited

Consequence: Lvl 4 Harm (Crushed); Park throws themself into the way and resists with 2 Stress, Maxing out their stress track.

 

With a final effort, Park pushes the Thunderbolt’s Powerful Custom Engine and grabs the Beam Lance, pushing it through the body of the Demetr and ripping it out through the cockpit.

PARK; DIRE ACTION BATTLE(6); Desperate Limited; Pushes with 1 Quirk for improved effect. 

 

The Landed Regent is Dead!

 

Heather Passerines, in the upper reaches of the arena, continues her broadcast as Toccata climbs from the Persephone to the crumpled form of the Demeter. Park shuts down the Thunderbolt and crawls out. They scream at Toccata “ENOUGH! I AM DONE!” They go to collect Zax. As her comrades slink off Toccata stands in the middle of the arena. Victorious, she stares down at the body of her last blood relative.

 

EPILOGUE

 

Zax Bliss decides that being on the frontlines is too dangerous. He moves to a non-combat role with Buster Noble at the Technocratic Society for a Better Earth. Slowly the Technocratic facade falls away from the faction and it becomes clearer that it is a Cryptocracy run by a small group with no intention of giving up power.

 

Park Tera Neta leaves Savvyhawk to find Elisha Shade. Together they leave Earth behind, hoping to find a less violent life off world. Occasionally they return to visit Tuesday Special who stayed behind to continue her work in The Stain.

 

Time passes quickly for Toccata Leicht-Strejan. She is once again the most wanted criminal in all of Jovangellian space. Heather made sure that her face was plastered over the entire planet. In a flash she sees Tuesday Special’s truck gone from the hangar, followed by Zax’s Old Man, the Eternal. Park never came back to the Thunderbolt MkV. A tarp slides over the Thunderbolt and Toccata opens her eye. We see a significantly older woman, her hair cut short, still wearing her long coat and Jovangellian finery, though now it is more patches and stitches than original cloth. An eyepatch sits on the left side of her face, on it a hawk silhouette over a faded blue sun. She stands on the catwalk of the control tower atop the Blue of Heaven, looking down on her new squad. She is alone among them. A Superior, never a friend. All she knows is fight, steal, survive, repeat.

 

Toccata is dead.

 

Only the Duchess of The Stain remains.

One of the play groups in the Beam Saber discord did a mission with extremely interesting results! Hadrian was one of the players, and with the group's permission, wrote up what happened during the mission to be shared in the discord and here. Enjoy.

 

Savvyhawk Logistics is:

Toccata Leicht-Strejan, the Engineer

Park Tera Neta, the Ace

Neoprene Lark, the Hacker

Tuesday Special, Specialist Driver

Elisha Shade, Specialist Combat Pilot

Oberlain Aclove, Specialist Infiltrator

After an extended downtime since the last mission, the Regent’s planted asset in Savvyhawk (Oberlain Aclove, Infiltrator) calls the squad into a meeting.

 

“The Regent has decided that you have dallied long enough. Her patience is exhausted and she wants her nuke back.” (*Note: Several missions ago the Nuclear Device was stolen by Savvyhawk from the Exiled Academy and delivered to the Teachers’ Union. Since then the Landed Regent has had Savvyhawk under her thumb (Instead of being destroyed, as Toccata is her cousin))

 

The members of the squad immediately make pleas to have more time to prepare. Oberlain shuts the squad down by asking one question. “Have you seen Tuesday?”

 

Park loses their cool and threatens to kill Oberlain where he stands. “Then Tuesday will die, too.”

 

After a scuffle, Toccata breaks the group up and demands Oberlain lay out the details of the job.

 

Mission: The Regent's Request

Employer: Landed Regent

Target: Teachers’ Union

Objective(s):

- Steal back the nuke.

- Destroy or steal any relevant research data.

- Kill or incapacitate researchers who have worked on the project.

Rules of Engagement: Let them know who you work for, do damage to vital infrastructure. Tactic: Assault(Brassholes)

Detail:

 

Later that night, after Oberlain has skulked away, Park calls a secret meeting.

 

“We’re not doing this, right?” they ask Toccata and Neoprene.

 

 

“We’ll have to get Buster Noble in on this if there’s any chance of it working.” Toccata brings up the leader of the Teachers’ Union research division, and the current steward of the Nuclear Device (and who currently loves Savvyhawk for providing it to her).

 

Neoprene is baffled. “We have a contract with the Empire, why would they resort to threatening us? If they would do this, do you think they are actually testing my algorithm?” (Neoprene is a math-obsessed programmer who has written a perfect logistics algorithm. She was kicked out of Exodus Inc after they determined her useless upon learning that her algorithm requires the dissolution of hierarchical society to achieve efficiency of resource distribution)

 

“Neoprene, there is no contract, they are extorting us, and they’ll do the same to you.” Toccata knows the Regent well.

 

“Yes, they are going to fuck you, Neoprene, they just kidnapped MY MOTHER!” screams Park.

 

After the meeting, Neoprene complies with the others’ request to find information on Tuesday Special’s whereabouts. In a frantic state she begins hacking into Oberlain Aclove’s personal data system via a backdoor she installed when sharing her algorithm with them earlier. Neoprene is concerned that the Jovangellian’s aren’t interested in her algorithm after all.

 

Neoprene; Gather Information; INTERFACE(!CRIT!)

- Oberlain secretly has a mech, the Vertical Greatcoat

- The Dragon Slayers were involved in taking Tuesday. They are guarding her at a hardened facility.

- The Empire has been running tests with Neoprene's algorithm and trying to alter it to Jovangellian means, they have dedicated massive resources and made significant progress toward bending it to their will.

- The Landed Regent has personally marked Neoprene as an asset to be acquired.

 

Upon learning that the Empire is dedicating enormous resources to her work, Neoprene decides on the spot to defect and work for them, the opportunity for an endless research budget is too alluring to ignore.

 

 

Toccata; SURVEY(5)

 

In the dark of night, Toccata is consulting with E.L.C., the AI-driven autodoc, about her abandonment issues and dealing with betrayal from family. She happens to look out the window and see Neoprene in her AWV, the Figurate Practical, slipping out over a back wall of the FOB.

 

Since Toccata keeps E.L.C. in her loft in the hangar, it is easy for her to hop into the Striker Gear Persephone and ask Neoprene over comms what she is doing.

 

 

Neoprene; MANEUVER(5)

 

Neoprene does not respond and finally gets her vehicle over the wall and out into darkness. Toccata gives chase in the heavy AWV, bursting through the wall behind Neoprene as she hears the Hacker sending panicked transmissions to Oberlain, revealing that Savvyhawk plans to mount a rescue of Tuesday.

 

The Figurate Practical is wildly maneuverable but the five-limbed Norian mech can’t outrun the Striker Gear’s massive stride. In the wastes of The Junkyard, a part of the Stain where the machines yearn to be rebuilt, Neoprene’s vehicle bursts over a hill of ruined machines and is caught midair by one of the Persephone’s hands. The starfish mech’s tentacles whip and stab at the heavily armored dueling AWV to no avail.

 

Sending a direct transmission back to base, Toccata yells at Park and Elisha “If you want Tuesday to live, we have to go RIGHT NOW!”

 

With the Persephone’s high-torque manipulators and responsive neural link, Toccata easily pierces the Figurate Practical’s cockpit and rips out Neoprene’s comm system and then Neoprene herself. “Where is Tuesday?”

 

“If I tell you, you’ll let me live, right?”

 

“I’m not making a contract with you, Neoprene. Where is Tuesday?”

 

After weighing her options, Neoprene decides that she has nothing to lose at the moment and gives Toccata the information.

 

“Now let me go.”

 

The Striker Gear Persephone reaches into its payload bay and produces a warhead. A thumb arms the trigger. Toccata places the explosive on the ground and gently alights Neoprene with both feet on the trigger, her weight barely enough to hold it down. Leaving her there, she tells the Hacker “You’re a smart girl, you’ll figure this out.”

 

 

Zax has reached Savvyhawk after Park contacted the Teachers’ union earlier in the evening. The squad mobilizes with two aerial AWV’s (Park in the Thunderbolt MkV and Elisha Shade in her Dynastinae) and a low-speed cargo plane. As they pass the Junkyard Toccata deploys the Fulton Recovery balloons on the Perpehone and joins the squad as she is grabbed by the plane’s drag hook to take her place behind the plane next to Zax in his balloon-lofted heavy AWV, Old Man, the Eternal.

 

After being brought up to speed, Zax uses his empathic abilities to check on Tuesday.

 

Zax; Gather Info(FAR SIGHT); STUDY(5)

 

“They have Tuesday a back room. The Dragon Slayers are mobilizing forward defenses. They know we are coming.”

 

“Good,” crackles the voice of Park Tera Neta over the radio.

 

!!!NEW MISSION: REJECTING THE REGENT!!!

Employer: Our Damn Selves

Target: The Landed Regent

Objective: RESCUE TUESDAY SPECIAL

Rules of Engagement: Avoid damaging civilian infrastructure.

Tactic: Assault

Detail: Death From Above

 

Pilot Loadouts:

Zax: Heavy

Toccata: Heavy

Park: Heavy

 

ENGAGEMENT ROLL: (5) Risky Position

 

Striker Gear Persephone and Old Man, the Eternal are dragged over the enemy base on their Fulton balloons and Park shoots out the balloons, dropping the two heavy mechs directly onto the enemy. Park and Elisha approach from the air, low and fast.

 

CLOCK: TUESDAY SPECIAL (Tug-of-War)

Rescue ----X---- Kill

 

Zax; BATTLE(3);

As Zax falls, he draws back his giant hammer to bring it down on Oberlain in the Vertical Greatcoat, which we have spotted in the middle of the facility. He gets caught by a hail of fire from the Dragon Slayers.

Consequences: Lvl2 Damage (RIDDLED), Negated by declaring 4 load of armor.

 

Toccata; DESTROY(5);

On her way down, toccata lobs another warhead from her payload bay, this one a powerful chaff bomb, to blind the Jovangellian forces. The Dragon Slayers are sent into chaos but Oberlain catches her with the Vertical Greatcoat’s spear.

Consequences; Lvl 2 Damage (PIERCED) (lessened to Lvl 1(Bashed) by resisting with Vanguard Armor)

 

Rescue --X------ Kill

 

Toccata; DESTROY(ROADMASTER)(5);

Slipping away from Oberlain and using the Chaff as cover, Toccata utilizes the Fine Destruction tools of the Persephone to smash through small buildings and walls to make the area between the captors and the holding facility impassable by land vehicles.

Consequence; Lessened Effect, the Dragon Slayers cannot pass but Oberlain makes it through.

 

Rescue ----X---- Kill

 

Park; COMMAND(RED COMET)(5);

Framed by a magnificent and overwhelming flash of fireworks, Park Tera Neta screams over the loudspeakers of the Thunderbolt “I am Park tera NEta and you will give back what is mine!” the Dragon Slayers are further dazed and demoralized by the presence of Savvyhawk’s legendary pilot. One of them says “they weren’t supposed to be able to put up a fight.”.

Consequences: Oberlain jumps toward where Tuesday is held, Resisted by Zax tackling the Greatcoat and using Old Man, the Eternal’s Overwhelming Strength and Sturdy Frame quirks.

 

Rescue --X------ Kill

 

Toccata; BATTLE(5);

A giant hand rises from the smoke cloud and the Persephone’s Fine Beam Cutlass blazes to life. Toccata points it toward Oberlain and Elisha takes the signal to begin her assault. The darting flight of the Dynastinae catches Oberlain off guard and Toccata is able to get in a strong slash up the body of the Vertical Greatcoat.

Consequences: Elisha Takes 1 Damage and Oberlain attempts to launch himself toward Tuesday’s cell once again(Toccata resists with Striker Gear Persephone’s High-Torque Manipulators quirk)

 

Seeing Elisha take a hit from Oberlain and the Vertical Greatcoat barely being held back by the Persephone Park, for the first time ever, deploys their Fine Machine gun as a vulcan cannon folds out of the Thunderbolt’s forearm.

 

Park; BATTLE(5);

Toccata spends three stress to assist park’s attack by keeping Oberlain’s focus. The machine gun rips through the VErtical Greatcoat’s armor with little trouble, however Park is overly focused on Oberlain and takes fire fro the reorganizing Dragon Slayers.

Consequence: Lvl 1 Damage (Pincushioned)

 

“Don’t Worry, Park, I’ve got this!” hollers Zax over the comms as he draws back his hammer to smash the side of the building where Tuesday is held. Park, in a brief moment of clarity, throws their Beam Lance to Zax and spends 1 stress to assist. “Oh, I got it, go surgical!” exclaims the enthusiastic Zax.

 

Zax; DESTROY(3);

.Zax spends a bit too much time attempting to be surgical and takes heavy fire from the Dragon Slayers.

Consequences: LVL2 Damage (Riddled)

 

Toccata; Battle(2);

Toccata renews her efforts to take down Oberlain but the Greatcoat is too nimble to catch with her blade.

Consequence; Oberlain escapes toward Tuesday yet again, in a lunge that might destroy the building entirely. (Toccata resists with PErsephone’s Hard Charging quirk to tackle the Vertical greatcoat before it reaches the building.)

 

Zax; Prowl (!CRIT!);

Rescue X-------- Kill

Giving up on cracking the building, Zax jumps out of Old Man, the Eternal and dashes into the building. He knows exactly how to get to the holding cell. His esper senses alert him before he runs into waiting guards and trapped hallways. He quickly guides Tuesday Special, who has already freed herself from her bonds back to his vehicle, loads her up, and sprints both of them out of combat.

 

Park; BATTLE (5);

Park unloads a barrage from their Fine Machine Gun into the Dragon Slayers, killing some of them and finally breaking the resolve of the rest. They make a hasty retreat.

Consequence: Elisha Takes another hit from Oberlain, she is now Broken

 

Park; BATTLE(5);

Turning and seeing the woman that they are Obsessed with taking a near fatal blow from Oberlain, Park ignites their boosters at full burn, expending the Thunderbolt’s Powerful Custom Engine quirk. Toccata spends three stress to assist, grappling the Vertical Greatcoat into a full nelson. The fist of the Thunderbolt is buried in the cockpit of the Vertical Greatcoat. The spear of the Vertical Greatcoat is buried in the cockpit of the Thunderbolt. The camera cuts to an interior shot of Park Tera Neta breathing heavily, blood running down their cheek from the AWV’s blade, which missed their head by millimeters

Oberlain Aclove, the Regent’s Will, is dead..

Consequences: To Be Determined...

One of the play groups in the Beam Saber discord did a mission against Lady Elreth. Hadrian was one of the players, and with the group's permission, wrote up what happened during the mission to be shared in the discord and here. Enjoy.

 

Mission Specs

Employer: Jovangellian Empire(The Landed Regent)

Target: Lady Elreth

Objective(s): Plant a Jovangellian flag on her corpse.

Rules of Engagement: Leave no witnesses alive. Bonus to Engagement Roll if we plan to kill her in her mech.

Tactic: Scientific

Detail: Animating her own trophies to fight against her in her nest.

 

Pilot Loadouts:

Neoprene: Heavy

Toccata: Heavy

Park: Medium

 

Notes

Region Rule: Elreth's Nest: -1d to Resolve resist rolls due to the overwhelming presence of death brought on by the many ruined AWVs.

 

Gather Information:

Neoprene (3); Limited Information about Elreth's travel patterns.

Elreth is very difficult to track, shows up randomly at battles and leaves, never in the same direction. Evidence indicates that she might never leave her vehicle under normal circumstances. A good place to find her might be her Nest, where she keeps her trophies.

 

Toccata (5); Standard information, asking Peaches, a corrupt Norian officer about Elreth's support staff. They say that Elreth does not have support staff, she just occassionally refuels and restocks her mech. the only associate they know of is that Elreth picked up a war orphan and raised her (Elisha Shade, Park's Rival), their relationship is strained but they remain close.

 

Park (5); Standard information about the current disposition of The Sword Wings. The Sword Wings are currently working on driving the Jovangellians off the planet.

 

We approach the mission by ambushing Elreth in her "nest," a scrapyard/trophy field where she brings the remnants of the vehicles of defeated foes that she deemed worthy of remembrance.

 

Engagement Roll: 6

 

Starfall: Airborne on 4 massive sprawling wings. 2 Large fanlike horns with blades extend from the head. The body of the mech seems to be lined with guns.

 

As Starfall approaches, the horde of AWV's being remotely manipulated by Neoprene (the Hacker, with In the Machine) begin attacking one after another, Elreth is vulnerable.

Neoprene Data Bombs Starfall to slow Elreth, granting better effect to following rolls.

Consequences: Lvl1 Damage: Resisted with Armor

 

Park (the Ace) attacks (Improved Vehicle Weapons Squad Upgrade), driving their beam lance into a crack between carapace plates on the Starfall's back.

Consequence: Elreth identifies threats, Moving us to Desperate Position

 

Neoprene hacks Elreth's sensors to fuzzify them.

 

Toccata (the Engineer with Robot Fighter) attacks with her Fine Beam Cutlass! Damaging one of Starfall's Wings and releasing a cascade of plasma.

Consequences; lvl 2 Dmg (Fried); Resisted with 1 Quirk

 

Park; FLASHBACK 1 Stress; has placed explosives on a decoy mech, using them to perform a setup action by distracting/blinding Elreth.

 

As the explosion goes off, Park receives a transmission from Starfall. ELISHA SHADE is onboard! She tells park "Do not throw your life away! You are a great fighter, but not great enough for this!" As a rival, Elisha inflicts consequences. Park resists the lvl 2 Harm (Faltering) with Resolve, takes 5 stress, maxing out their stress track.

 

In an act of defiance, Park takes a DIRE ACTION, charging rocketing toward the Starfall at full burn,

 

seeking to impale its sensor suite with their lance. Toccata had just finished Enhancing the thunderbolt, park's AWV last downtime and tells Park to "Push the Red Button." Park expends the new mystery quirk to and a Jovangellian dueling cloak cascades out from the left shoulder of the Thunderbolt. BATTLE! 6!

 

Elreth's sensors are now badly damaged.

 

Park pushes the brief advantage, taking another DIRE ACTION. Toccata Assists, fending off the attacks from Elreth's blades as Park repeatedly attacks Starfall with the beam lance. BATTLE! (!CRIT!)

Park Heals 1 Stress, is no longer making Dire Actions

 

Neoprene; INTERFACE (6); In The Machine; use zombie AWVs to dogpile Starfall all at once.

 

Elreth is pulled from the air by a swarm of her trophies reaching out from their grave.

As Starfall comes to rest on the ground, disabled, for now, Elreth addresses the squad, "If you want to kill me you will have to do it in person. Access hatches open on the abdomen of the gigantic vehicle. Toccata leads the squad into the labyrinth that is the internal hallways of Starfall.

 

Current Squad Stress:

Toccata: XXXXXXXX-

Park: XXXXXXXX-

Neopren: XXXXXXX--

 

Neoprene; INTERFACE (5); Fine Retrival Program; Locate the cockpit.

Consequences: Elisha Shade is inside the Starfall with Elreth and is armed.

 

Toccata, the Jovangellian noble, raised in a boarding school for Imperial duelists declares a Bandoleer for 1 load and tosses a Flashbang into cockpit.

 

After storming the bridge, Toccata pulls her dart gun, Toccata and Park both spend 1 Drive Clock to remove Elisha shade as a Rival, and then tranquilizes Elisha, removing her safely from the combat.

 

 

Toccata; STRUGGLE (4); She then also shoots Elreth with tranq gun.

Consequences; Move to Risky Position

 

Toccata; STRUGGLE (5); Toccata draws her dueling saber and attacks Elreth. She lands a glancing blow but Elreth clearly has her outclassed and playfully tosses Toccata to the ground.

Consequences; Lvl 2 harm (Outmatched); Toccata heals 2 stress (Cool Under Pressure)

 

Toccata immediately spends those 2 Stress to give Neoprene +1d and +Effect; Neoprene declares a shotgun and charges Elreth but rolls a 2. She resists the consequnces by declaring armor.

Consequence: lvl 2 Harm (broken ribs), Reduced with Armor

 

Toccata pulls a capsul from her bandoleer and flicks it at Elreth, it is expanding restraint foam, unfortunately she rolls a 3 and Neoprene suffers the consequence lvl 2 Harm (Stuck), which she reduces with armor once again.

 

Park, in a fit of desperation, begins yelling at Elreth about the Evils of Nor, successfully distracting her for a split second SWAY (5) as Elreth throws one of her weapons at Park, inflicting lvl 2 Harm (Concussed) Park declares armor to reduce the harm.

(edited)

Toccata, regaining her footing, takes advantage of the distraction, attacking Elreth once again with her dueling saber. STRUGGLE (6). Elreth deflects the blow but Toccata steps past her and reverses her blade, driving it home and delivering the killing stroke.

As Park gather Elisha's unconscious body and prepares her for transport, Toccata pulls the Jovangellian flag from her pack, uses it to wipe the blood from her blade, drops it on the corpse and sheathes her weapon.

 

Operation Name: DEICIDE.

Mission Complete.

After a fraught mission in Wander The Cenotaph return to Hulinton to mend their wounds and reconnect with each other. Unfortunately their ambitions get the better of them and things turn sour...

This is an audio recording of the Beam Saber: The Cenotaph livestream on our twitch channel.

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